Talk:Believe (2)/@comment-3284502-20140717074311
Okay, this is officially the CHEESIEST, most PATHETIC thing I've ever written or will ever write. Just...bear with me for a while, okay? I've written appreciation posts before, but only for a ship or a character. I've never done one for a whole genre, so this might be a long one. Superhero Appreciation Post Those of you who know me probably aren't shocked that I'm seriously into heroes. I've made a frigging Lois Lane appreciation post and am always in the mood for justice. And hey, it probably isn't just me. Watching guys dressed up in costumes doing the things we can't and bringing all the bad guys to justice is seriously cathartic. But, for me at least, it's so much more than that. I was a fairly lonely kid. A string of toxic, so called friendships left me depressed and in need of an outlet. I didn't want to turn to books and homework as I had in previous years - and even if I did, the needless drama in my life left me too upset to focus for long. My grades suffered for it. Two of my friends were leaving and the two who were sticking around said they weren't mad at me for being done with their drama, but they sure as hell didn't act like they wanted me around either. I had no idea who I'd talk to at school or where I'd sit at lunch or what to do. I needed a distraction. That was when I remembered something I found on Robin's wikipedia article that I read while searching up the Teen Titans. The female Robin might be ressurrected after her grossly sexualized death and subsequent brush off from creators sparked outrage in feminist fans. Interested in the campaign, I decided to pick up the issue where we were to learn whether or not she was alive again (she was, JSYK). Well, okay, that plus four or five other titles some fans from the site liked. I was floored by how much I instantly loved the characters. I needed to learn more. And thus began my 6 year (ongoing) stint of simultaneously buying comics and looking up more information online and seeing what other fans say and post. I was hooked. There are two parts to every well written comic book character. The part you relate to and the part you look up to. The heroes go through struggles not only in their professional lives as heroes, but also in their personal lives. They were lonely, they were sexually assaulted or harassed, they were treated poorly at home, they coped with disabilities and illnesses, they accepted their insecurities, they lost loved ones, they dealt with money problems, they explored their sexualities. These are all issues that affect thousands of people at any given time. That's what you can relate to. What you could look up to however, was the fact that a hero, a real hero, always got back up and went swinging right back into the thick of things. They did what they needed to do. They survived and they conquered. And I loved it. More than watching them beat up bad guys, watching Spider Man outgrow his tormentors and thrive both professionally and personally made me happy. It inspired me. To be brutally honest, it changed me. I am who I am today because I love superheroes. I do not believe that is an exaggeration in the slightest. These characters inspired me and taught me so many lessons I cannot even begin to recount them all. They showed me what was important, what really mattered. Even with all their flaws, they all had something to share that made me who I am. Without them, I would be a vastly different person. Almost every hero has a major point to them. A lesson they are meant to teach. Now, with most of them having at least a decade under their belts, they all can teach multiple lessons, but there's usually one theme, one moral, one point that stands above the rest. Without that point, the character simply isn't the same. Nothing might be wrong with the story itself, but it will just feel off. So, what lessons did they teach me? I have a lot, so this *will* take a while. But if you'd be so kind as to sit back and read through a *fuckton* of my babbling, I have assembled a list of 40 lessons I have been taught by heroes (okay, fine, 36 lessons from heroes, two from civillians, and two from teams, but that's not as catchy sounding, so bear with me!) -Superman:' Hope. ' -Batman:' Love. '''Yeah, I know, I know. I didn't put "justice" with Batman. Blasphemy! But Batman was never a story about justice or vengence to me. It's always been about love. Batman was motivated by the murder of loved ones. He was raised by a man he loves as a father. He learned to love again, several times (Talia, Silver, Vicki, most notably Selina). And, eventually? He built a family. He found a boy who'd been hurt the same way he was - murdered parents. And so he adopted the boy and raised him to fight crime so he could have an outlet and be supported. And then another child came. And Batgirl showed up. Then a new Batgirl. And so and so on. More people fought crime in Gotham, and became extended "Bat-family" members. They've all been affected by crime somehow and they all work to protect the citizens of Gotham. They took their tragedy and they built a family. That's familial, romantic, and parental covered. Friendship? Batman doesn't make them easily, but when you've got his trust, you've got it. He's got your back for as long as you have his. Does he have high standards? Oh hell yeah! But if you can worm your way in his heart, you've got him. And community? Psh. He shows his love for the community every damn time he puts on the cowl. To prevent others from living his tragedy. So move over, justice and vengence. As far as I'm concerned, love was, is, and forever shall be the lesson Batman gave me. -Wonder Woman: '''Truth.' -John Stewart:' Resilience. ' -Hal Jordan: Keep the faith. ''' -Roy Harper: Willpower. ' -Stephanie Brown: '''Don't let anyone bring you down. ' -Cassandra Cain:' Nobody defines you but yourself.' -Dick Grayson:' Keep laughing. ' -Wally West: Step up. ''' -The Atom: Compassion. ' -Green Arrow:' Social conscience.' -Oracle: '''Keep moving forward.' -Martian Manhunter:' It's okay not to be okay.' -Raven:' Express yourself' -Guy Gardner:' Be your best.' -Aquaman:' Honour.' -Hawkgirl: Go your own way. -Lois Lane: Integrity. -The Teen Titans: Friendship. -Captain America: Idealism. -Iron Man: Recovery is possible. -Black Widow: Redemption is possible. -Hawkeye:' Like fuck you can't.' -Hulk: Control -She-Hulk: Get things done your way and let them howl. -Wasp: Survive and thrive. -Scarlet Witch:' You will be okay.' -Emma Frost: Accept no bullshit. -Falcon: Yes, you can. -Angel Salvadore: Pain fades. -Karolina Dean: Respect.''' -Spider Man: '''Sacrifice. -Reed Richards: Knowledge is power; what you do with that power is up to you. -Sue Storm:' Family is everything.' -Wolverine: The past is in the past. -Carol Danvers: Never give up on yourself. -Flash Thompson:' You can change for the better.' -Mary Jane Watson: Never give up on others. -The X-Men: Tolerance and diversity. That's not even touching the lessons the genre taught me itself. Selflessness, doing what you need to for others, being the biggest. What you do for others matters. Helping people matters. Others matter. And stepping up requires courage. Courage to do what is right. You need to be brave and plan what you need to do, and then have the nerve to see it through. That is how you will achieve justice. That is how you ensure everyone gets what they need. It's the only way to build a better world. I originally had a lot more to write, explaining the connection these particular heroes have to these lessons. I decided against it though. I'm not here to give you all a comic book history lesson (though, if you WANT to know, you can always hit me up!), I'm here to explain what they taught me. And those lessons outlined above are what they taught me. So, what you see is what you get. No heroes, no CC. Now, I'd definitely have learned some of these things on my own (hell, I had a good grasp on love already, thanks to an awesome family) but not nearly in the same capacity. And I wouldn't have the icons, characters to attach them to and make me believe in them. I guess, at the end of the day, what I want to say is thank you. Thank you for being there for me Thank you for sticking around Thank you for inspiring me Thank you for teaching me And thank you for making me believe. But most of all, thank you for being my superheroes.